From 1 August 2015, all scheduled waste facilities (including recycling facilities) which are not required to pay the waste levy will be required to provide an annual report to the EPA on the amount and type of waste that has been processed, stored, recycled and disposed of for that year. This will be given effect in the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Amendment (Contributions) Regulation 2014.

This change is designed to improve the reliability of data in relation to waste facilities and strengthen the EPA's regulatory oversight across all sectors of the waste industry.

What problem led to the change?

The quality of waste data available to industry, the community and the NSW Government varies considerably because of a fundamental difference between the quality of landfill disposal data and recycling data. Unlike disposal data, the recycling data collected by the EPA is obtained through voluntary surveys. This results in incomplete and inaccurate data due to poor response rates, inadequate record keeping and a lack of weighing facilities. These issues are exacerbated by some sectors of the waste industry that choose not to participate in the voluntary data surveys.

Reliable, accurate and up-to-date data is essential for the development and evaluation of effective waste policies, as well as monitoring progress towards NSW resource recovery targets.

How will these changes affect waste facilities?

From 1 August 2015, all scheduled waste facilities not required to pay the waste levy will be required to report annually to the EPA on the amount, type and destination of waste received and sent off-site. This data will be reported through a simple online tool.

The EPA will be contacting relevant facilities closer to the commencement of this requirement.